During the last decades skin cancer became more significant and every third cancer diagnosis is a skin cancer. The purpose of this project is to analyze the function of the leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domain proteins in the skin and skin tumorigenesis. The LRIG-family consists of three transmembrane proteins (LRIG1-3), which can regulate receptor-tyrosine-kinases in a positive or negative manner. This allows them to control cell fate and regulate tissue and organ development. Based on our investigations we found out that a LRIG deregulation influences the hair cycle, hair follicle and epidermal morphology; in addition, LRIG2 has an impact on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma initiation. Our findings are intended to contribute for a better understanding of the molecular processes during skin homeostasis and tumorigenesis.  

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